Five Palestinians killed in Beit Hanoun invasion, Powell asks for concessions
Palestine-Israel, Military, 5/16/2003

The Israeli occupation forces escorted by more 70 tanks yesterday incurred into the cities of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia and parts of Jabalia town to the north of Gaza and this resulted in killing five Palestinians and more 20 injured, five of them in a critical health condition.

The Palestinians intercepted the Israeli forces by mortars and fire and they threw stones at them. They also detonated several explosives when the Israeli tanks incurred in Beit Hanoun.

A spokesman for the Israeli forces admitted that five shells fell at the settlements of Ghoushe Katif, Natsareim, Neve Dakalim in Gaza.

Meantime, the US Secretary Of State Colin Powell called on the Israelis and the Palestinians to be ready to give concessions to find a solution between themselves.

Nabil Abu Rudinah, the advisor of the chairman of the Palestinian authority Yasser Arafat, held the Israeli government responsible for the escalation operations. He stressed that the continued incursion operation, the last of which was in Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia and parts of Jabalia aims at killing the Roadmap.

A Palestinian security source stressed that the Israeli leveling operations targeted more than 200 dunnums of land in Beit Hanoun during the invasion.

On the other hand, eye witnesses said that the Israeli forces used more Palestinian civilians as human shields including several children during their incursion operation in Jenin to the north of the West Bank.

A British volunteer working in a humanitarian organization said that the Israeli occupation forces forced her together with two other women and three Palestinian girls including a four- year old child to sit near one of the Palestinian houses while these forces were opening fire and bombs at the said house.

In Qalqilya, one Palestinian was strongly wounded when the Israeli forces opened fire at him.

The Israeli radio said that fire was opened at the said Palestinian under the pretext that he was preparing a bomb.

The Israeli forces, on the other hand, broke into a Palestinian house in al-Raam village to east of Jerusalem under the pretext it includes machines to falsify documents and arrested three Palestinians who were inside the house.

The Israeli forces also arrested the spokesman for the Islamic movement Sheikh Hashem Abdul Rahman, from Um al-Fahm city of the territories of 1948. The Israeli radio said that Abdul Rahman is detainee number 16 in the campaign of arrest launched by the Israeli authorities against members of the movement. The Israeli forces also arrested 13 Palestinians in al-Khuder village, of Bethlehem district, Nablus and Jenin.

The Monte Carlo radio correspondent in Jenin quoted Palestinian sources as saying that the occupation forces used Palestinian children, and women as human shields to approach the houses.

The Israeli forces, on the other hand, arrested two French under the pretext they are allegedly linked to two British citizens linked to the "suicide" operations carried out on April 30th in a club in Tel Aviv. France's assistant consul in Tel Aviv said that the Israeli forces arrested the two men on pretext that they have had met with the two said British citizens linked to the operation which resulted in killing three persons.

The French diplomat said that the two French are two film-makers carrying a reportage on conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In Sofia, the US Secretary Of State Colin Powell called on the Israelis and the Palestinians to be ready to give concessions for finding a solution.

In a press conference he held in Sofia, Powell said it is time for the two sides to be ready to give concessions to achieve progress. He called for investing what he called the opportunity available now, in remarks to the Roadmap proposed to the two sides.

Previous Stories:
  Palestinians killed in Israeli incursion of Khan Younis, Nablus   (5/15/2003)
  Following Palestinian bombardment wounding 14 Israelis, Israel incur in Khan Younis wounding scores of Palestinians   (5/14/2003)
  Powell calls for honoring living conditions of Palestinians, Sharon calls on Abbas to fight Intifada, one Palestinian killed   (5/12/2003)
  Palestinian official statement on the Road Map   (5/12/2003)

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